Cold treat gets a warm reception

When John Allen Hall decided he was going
to make some homemade ice cream for his bride, Sally, on their wedding
day, little did he know that it would spark the beginning of a tradition
in Perry County that would last 60 years.

Hall previously had attended classes in
ice cream production at Penn State’s university creamery and was “so
enthused about the quality of ice cream produced there that upon
returning home to his family dairy in Millerstown, he developed his own
recipe,” according to the company’s brochure.

So began Hall’s Ice Cream, a business which opened in 1947 and has served and employed generations of area residents.

John Allen Hall ran the dairy until 1995,
when his son Allen and daughter Margaret (Peggy) Hall Raub assumed
operation of the business.

Allen Hall said that Hall’s is well-known
for its “rural, relaxing” atmosphere that allows customers to partake of
the 40 different flavors offered at the parlor.

In addition to ice cream, Hall’s recently
began selling cheese, an idea picked up at a farmer’s market where an
elderly couple was running a cheese business. The couple asked John
Allen if he would be interested in buying the cheese to sell at his
store and, when the couple retired, he decided to do so. Hall’s now has
14 or 15 types of cheese, with the most popular being extra sharp
cheddar.

According to Hall, the business covers
Perry, Juniata, Dauphin, Adams and Cumberland counties, and the ice
cream is shipped as far as to Wisconsin.

Hall’s also has a strong presence at
community events, providing ice cream at firemen’s carnivals, including
Liverpool, Millerstown, New Bloomfield, Halifax and McAlisterville, as
well as the Juniata and Perry County fairs.

Allen and his family also travel to sell
their ice cream. It is served at banquets and wedding receptions, as
well as in Hershey and at an Irish festival in Maryland.

Hall’s began a new tradition in
Millerstown five years ago, called “Milkshake Day.” Members of the
community can buy milkshakes and other food, with proceeds benefitting
local veterans.

“People were talking about the soldiers
serving in Iraq, but I wanted to do something for the veterans at home.”
According to Hall, employees donate their time so the all the milkshake
sale proceeds can go to the veterans. This past year, $635.98 was
raised for the Millerstown VFW and Liverpool Legion.

“It’s been growing every year,” Hall said.

Throughout its 60 years, Hall’s has
maintained its signature homestyle ice cream, adding more cream than
goes into the typical ice cream. Hall said that this is the way his
father began the business, and he plans to continue doing the same.

Although Hall’s is a business steeped in
tradition, a major change occurred when a log truck crashed into the
front of the parlor in the late 1980s. The Hall family decided at that
point to build a new parlor beside the old one, a move that was
beneficial, Hall said, because the new parlor could provide space for 50
customers, and the old one seated 10 or 12.

Many Perry County residents
have memories of working, as well as eating, at Hall's, as the dairy
has employed hundreds of teen-agers. According to Hall, some of their
employees have been “third generation kids,” whose parents and grandparents have worked at the parlor.

Hall has his own special memories of the
dairy, beginning to work there when he was 8 years old, even though he
was too short to reach over the counter. Customers had to lean over and
take the ice cream from him.

Although his parents are no longer in
charge of the business, they still maintain an active interest in it,
Hall said. “They like to know what’s going on and where we’re going.”

After 60 years, a trip to the dairy on the
weekends remains a tradition for many people, who come from as far as
Carlisle and Lewistown. The business typically serves 350-450 people on
Sunday afternoons, even though it’s not located along a major highway.

“People are coming here for a special
reason, and that’s to get our ice cream,” Hall said. “We’re very
appreciative of our loyal customers. They’re the ones who are keeping us
in business.”